Chromebook

A new class of computer that's 'made for everyone'

Chromebooks are an interesting class of device, as they follow a "traditional" laptop form factor but run Google's Chrome OS, an adapted version of the Chrome browser with extra utilities to make it usable as a full operating system. The range of Chromebooks available today, save for the Chromebook Pixel from Google, blanket the low-end laptop space. With prices ranging from $200 to $400, Chromebooks pretty handily undercut even the lowest end laptops running Windows. This isn't entirely surprising though, considering that Chrome OS requires far less in terms of hardware specs and there is no licensing fee for running Chrome OS.

Your average Chromebook runs on either an ARM or low-end Intel processor, has two to four gigabytes of RAM, as little as 16GB of storage and overall cheap hardware components. A variety of manufacturers make Chromebooks, including Lenovo, Samsung, Acer, ASUS and HP.

Google introduced the Chromebook line with a one-off prototype-style device, the CR-48, late in 2010 — but today's Chromebooks don't really bare much resemblance to the first iteration. Though the philosophy of a small, lightweight and generally low-power device sticks around, Chrome OS has come a long way in just four short years. The idea of having a Chromebook as a secondary computer has gained popularity, with Chromebooks driving huge sales in the low-priced laptop market. Chromebooks have also been a great solution for the education market, as they're easy to manage in bulk, are inexpensive and basically invulnerable to viruses and malware.

Following the rapid growth in Chromebook sales throughout 2013, Google has also partnered with Chromebook OEM partners to build both "Chromebox" and "Chromebase" computers. Chromeboxes are what you'd traditionally think of as small form factor desktop computers, but are running Chrome OS. They have similar specs to that of Chromebooks and similar pricing, but are even more aggressively marketed towards education and business users. Chromebases, on the other hand, are all-in-one desktop computers with large screens, keyboards and mice. LG was the first manufacturer to release a Chromebase desktop.

All Chromebook

Making video calls with friends and family is more convenient than ever thanks to Facebook supporting WebRTC technology. This means you'll be able to make video calls on a Chromebook with no plugin download or tedious workaround guides to follow. Simply boot up, load the website and connect....

Chromebooks, Chromebooks, everywhere...
Chromebooks have come a long way this year. We've gotten both bigger, beefier Chromebooks and lighter, thinner, fanless Chromebooks. We can do more with Chromebooks now, including using Adobe Photoshop and even running Linux in a window if we're feeling...

The new Chromebook 15 isn't the only bit of Chrome OS news coming out of Acer, as the laptop maker is showing off a refreshed version of its Chromebook 13 with a touchscreen at CES. The new model is physically and internally identical to the original — down to the Tegra K1 processor — but bumps...

Acer steps up its Chromebook game with a new 15-incher that doesn't skimp on specs
We got pretty excited when Acer announced it was iterating on its Chromebook 13 with a new 15-inch model, and today at CES we had a chance to play around with the all new Acer Chromebook 15. The new model is...

Acer has revealed its newest Chromebook, with a big 15.6-inch display, as part of its CES 2015 announcements. Prices for the new Chromebook will start at $249.99 in the US.
Acer states:
The crisp and vibrant display comes in two options. The full HD display has a 1920x1080 resolution...

Getting started with your Chromecast
The Chromecast is one of those products that's simple and incredible. This small HDMI dongle (it's not much bigger than a thumb drive) turns any TV or monitor into a portal for online entertainment, and does it for less than the cost of a dinner and movie...

Getting started with your Chromebook
So you just got a new Chromebook? Awesome! They make for a great little laptop, and are a favorite of all of us here at Android Central. We use them both for work and play (I'm writing this on one) because they are ultra-portable, easy to use, and make for a...

A few months after HP announced plans to sell an 11-inch and a 14-inch Chromebook in October, the PC maker has quietly begun selling a higher-end version of the HP Chromebook 14 with a touchscreen for $439.99.
The 1920x1080 backlit touchscreen display model has an NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor...

The Hangouts app for Chrome OS and Windows recently grabbed an update, and while the change log doesn't list anything particularly groundbreaking, the app has seen the addition of a new phone tab and desktop notifications.
According to a Google Plus post by Google Product Manager Mayur Kamat,...

The first step toward Chrome OS and Android working together in harmony
We got a glimpse back at Google I/O at the upcoming coziness between Chrome OS and Android, and beyond limited cross-platform app compatibility one of the first signs of this tie-up is Smart Lock. This is the sought-after...

Amazon is running a pretty good deal if you're currently in the market for a Chromebook. The deal is for the Acer Chromebook 13, which sees the price of the 16GB version getting slashed by $100, bringing it down to $200 total. The 32GB version is getting a price cut as well, but by a much more...

Google is offering 1TB of Google Drive storage for free for two years to anyone who purchases a Chromebook during the holiday season. Normally, 1TB of Google Drive storage for two years would cost a total of $240.
Google has previously offered 100GB of Drive space for anyone purchasing a...

Google announced today that Chrome OS has gotten a new update on its stable channel, bringing with it a few notable changes. If you're on a Chrome OS device, you can now enjoy Chromecast support for media files stored on Google Drive, along with the added ability to display apps installed on...

They all run the same software, but there are big differences between these Chromebook models
We've started to increase the pace of our Chromebook coverage here at Android Central for a variety of reasons, not the least of which being that we use these machines every single day. We spend time...

Google is adding more ways to use its Chromecast TV dongle today, as many Android gaming apps can now also be streamed and played on a big screen television, using a smartphone or tablet as a controller.
Google is concentrating on supporting games with a family theme for Chromecast, such as...

Google's Chromecast HDMI streaming TV dongle has now added support for three pay cable television Android apps: Showtime Anytime, Starz Play and Encore Play.
Assuming your cable TV provider supports these apps, and assuming you are a paid subscriber to one or more of these channels already,...

Google is proud of the progress it has made with Chromebook, especially in the education space. Noting that Chromebook has been a big hit in schools, Google bragged that the latest IDC numbers show that Chromebook is the best-selling device for education in the U.S. among laptops and tablets,...

It looks like Chrome OS for Chromebooks and Chromeboxes may be joining Android in getting Google's modern Roboto font soon. If accurate, Roboto would replace the Noto Sans UI font in Chrome OS.
While still unconfirmed, a request to add the Roboto font to Chrome OS was made by a Google design...

Finally, a Chromebook with a great display — now it just needs more performance
Since we first laid eyes on the new Toshiba Chromebook 2 at IFA, we knew that this may be one of the leading Chromebooks of the year. Sure it had basic specs just like all of the other Chromebooks, but it actually...

Dell has quietly introduced its own Chromebox bundle. Priced competitively at $199, Dell's deal, unlike many of its competitors, ships with both a keyboard and mouse, though you'll still need to add a display to your setup. The Dell Chromebox is based on the fourth generation Intel Celeron...

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